Umbrella construction



Dec. 1, 1953 D. M. COHEN UMBRELLA CONSTRUCTION Filed July 21, 1949 IOA I r! I)! /7 I 3/ F IG.6.

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30 29 205 J Z/A 1NVENTOR.

DAVID M. COHEN' ATTORNEY.

Patented Dec. 1, 1953 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,661,011 UMBRELLA CONSTRUCTION David M. Cohen, New York, N. Y., assignor to George B. Cohen, Long Beach, N. Y.

ApplicationJuly 21, 1949, Serial No. 105,927

. 8 Claims. (Cl. 135-36) r 1 This invention relates to an improved umbrella construction, and its object is to provide a simple and inexpensive arrangement for interconnecting the ferrule of an umbrella and the fabric of its cover. v I

In the construction of umbrellas in common use the ferrules are attached to the ends of the shanks and areeasily displaced and lost. Ac-

cording to my invention the ferrule is perma- I nently affixed to the fabric and the foregoing dimculty is overcome. Further objects are to simplify the operation of assembling parts of an umbrella and to provide aleak-proof connection between the ferrule and the fabric cover.

These and other objects of the invention will 1 appear in the followingspecification, in which I will describe some structures in which it is embodied, and point out its'novel features in claims.

This application is a continuation-in-part of a my application Serial No. 675,918, filed June 11, 1946, since abandoned.

Referring to the drawings- Fig. 1 is a sectional elevation of a part of an umbrella which is made according to and embodies my'invention;

Fig. 2 is an inverted plan view of, the parts shown in'Fig. 1, taken from the line 2-2 of Fig. 1; and Fig. 3 is a sectional elevation of .a portion of two of the parts shown in Fig. 1, showing them in full lines in their position before being clamped to the fabric of an umbrella, and illustrating in dotted lines their clamping position.

A modified construction is shown in Figs. ,4 and 5, of which Fig. 4 is a sectional elevation and Fig. 5 a perspective view of two of the parts separated from each other.

A simple modification which I now consider the preferred form of my invention is shown in Fig. 6, which is a sectional elevation, with the parts assembled on the shank of an umbrella.

lll'designates a metallic ferrule, in the upper portion of which a cylindrical pocket II is formed. I2 is a cylindrical portion of larger diameter below the pocket I I, and I3 is an annular shoulder between the pocket II and the portion I2. At the lower end of the portion I2 the metal is bent outwardly to form a flange I4. 1 20 is a grommet member which, as shown in Fig. 3, has a cylindrical body portion 2| with an outwardly projecting flange 22 at one end. The inner diameter of its cylindrical portion corresponds to that of the portion I2 of the'ferrule. Its flange-J22 lies against the flangelfl of the ferrule, the outer edge of which is bent over and underthe flange 22, as shown at I5, to fasten the parts together. The'lower end of the body I2 may be notched, as shown at 23 (Figs. 2 and 3).

is a washer. In assembling these parts a circular opening is formed in the umbrella fabric 3|, and the fabric is folded around the washer in the manner shown in Fig. 1. Then the washer, with the fabric'around it, is placed onthe body portion 2 I- of the grommet and pushed up against the latters flange 22. The outer diameter of the washer is slightly less than the inner diameter of the bent-under edge I5 of the ferrule, so that the fabric is pinched between these parts.

The lower part of the body 2| of the grommet is then sent outwardly and forced up against the part of the fabric which lies under the washer, with its outer edge bent upwardly, as shown at 2c in Fig. l, to pinch two layers of the fabric be-. tween this outer. edge of the grommet and the adjacent edge of the flange of the ferrule. Thus, an absolutely water-tight connection is made between the fabric and the ferrule. The shank "30 of the umbrella has a portion 4| which fits into the body portion H of the grommet and into the portion I2 of the ferrule, and a part 42 of smaller diameter which fits into the pocket II. A shoulder is formed between these parts 4! and 42 of the shank, which abuts the shoulder IS in the ferrule. I

. It is not necessary to cement the ferrule onto theshank; in fact, it is sometimes desirable to have it removable. By this construction the ferrule is permanently aflixed to the umbrella fabric so that it cannotbe displaced and lost.

In order to adapt this invention to ferrules made of plastic or other molded materials, a construction like that shown in Figs. 4 and 5 may be used. In these figures the ferrule is designated by a reference numeral IllA. Its inner contour is like that shown inthe preceding figures, except that of its flange I 4A. This flange has a downwardly projecting rim having an inner cylindrical surface I6, from the lower part of which angularly spaced ears I? project inwardly. In this case the body portion 2| of the grommet member 26A is the same as that shown in the previously described construction, but its flange 22A is provided with angularly spaced indentations 25, which correspond in size and in position to the ears I I of the ferrule. If desired, an arcuate slot 26 may be provided in the flange, and a pin It in the ferrule to fit it.

The grommet is attached to the ferrule by inserting it with the indentations 25 angularly alined with the ears I! and giving it a partial rotation to bring the non-indented parts of the flange 22A back of the ears II. If the slot 26 and pin I8 are provided, the degree of this rota tion is limited by them. The fabric III is affixed to the grommet in the manner described previously.

The ferrule IIIB in Fig. 6 may be made of plastic or other desired material. It has a central opening IZA and an integral outwardly extending upper'end of the cylindrical body 2 IA of the grommet member 283, abuts thefiange MB of the ferrule. This flange extends up around the outer edge of the flange MB as at 27 and over its top as at 221' Then, after the washer 36,. With the fabric SI of the umbrella folded over it, is placed I around the body 2 i, the lower end 29 of the flange is bent under it and pressed into engagement with placed in, the structure assembly is expedited. The ferrule 18, irremova-r bly applied to the fabric, and a leak-proof assembly is formed.

Various modifications in construction, mode of operation, method and use of an invention may and do occur to others, especially after benefiting from knowledge of such a disclosure as that herein presented, of the principles involved, but the invention itself is not confined to the present showing.

Iclaim: I y 1. An umbrella structure comprising a hollow tenur -or rigid material adapted to receive the shank of the umbrella and having an integral outward-1y projecting flange at its lower end, a grommet member having an outwardly projecting flange at its upper end abutting and affixed to the ferrule flange, and a washer having the fabric of the umbrella folded around it with the fabric on the upper --s-id'e of the washer in contact with the grommet flange, said grommet member having an outwardly extending lower portion pressed into permanent engagement with the fabric on the under side of the washer. v

"2. An u-n'rlorella structure comprising ahollow tenure of rig-id material adapted to receive the shank of the umbrella and having an integ'r-al eiitwar'eiy projecting flange at its lower end, a grommetniember having an outwardly projecting fiange'at its upper end abutting theferrule flange, a "part of one of said flanges extending around the onteredge of the other flange, and a washer having the fabric of the umbrella folded around it'with thefabric on theupper side of the Washer in contact with the-grommet flange, said grommet member having an outwardly-extending 'lower portion pressed into permanent engagement with the fabric on the under side of the'washer. 3. An um-brella-structure comprising a hollow ferrule of rigi-d'rnaterial adapted to receive the shank of the umbrella and having an integral outwardlyp'roj'ecting flange at its lower end a mm'et member having an outwardly projecting flange at its upper-end abutting the ferrule flange, a part of the ferriile 'fiange extending around the outer e" ge 0f the grommet flange, and a washer having the fabric or the umbrella folded around. itwith thefabric on the upper side of the washer incont'act w'ith' the grommet flange, saidgrommet member having an outwardly extending lowerfportionpressed into permanent engagement with'the fabric on the underside of the washer.

--'An umbrella structure comprising a hollow ferrule of'rigid'material adapted -to receive the shank of the umbrella and having anintegral outwardly projecting flange at its lower "end, ---a grommet member having an outwardly'proje'ct i-ng flange at its upperendabutting the'ferr-ule flange, a part of the ferrule flange extending aroundthe outer edge of the grommet flange, and

a: washer having the; fabric of the umbrella fold! edaround it with the fabric on the uppersideof the washer in contact with the grommet flange, said grommet member having an outwardly extending lowerportion pressed into permanent engagement with the fabric on the under side of the washer, the outer edge of said portion being turned upwardly to engage a part of'the fabric, between said upturned "edge and the part of they ferrule flange under the grommet flangel '5. An umbrella structure comprising a hollow ferrule of rigid material having an opening in its lower end, a gr mm t member afiixed to the rule having an openin therein, a washer having the fabric of the umbrella folded over it with the fabric of the upper part of the washer in contact with the grommet member, an outwardly extending lower part of the grommet member being pressed into permanent engagement with the fabric; on, the under side of the washer, and a shank inserted in the openings in the ferrule and the grommet member.

6. An umbrella structure comprising a hollow ferrule ofri'gid material adapted to receive the shank of the umbrella and having an integral outwardly projecting flange at its lower end, a grommet member having an outwardly projecting flange at its upper end abutting the ferrule flange, a part of the grommet flange extending outwardly, around the outer edge of the ferrule flange and over the top of said fer-rule flange, and awasher having the fabric of the umbrella folded around it with the fabric on the upper side ofthe washer in contact with the grommet flange, the lower part of the grommet member extending outwardly under-the washer and pressed into permanent engagement with the fabric on the under side'of the washer.

7-. An umbrella structure comprising a hollow ferrule of rigid material adapted to receive the shank of the umbrella and having an opening therein, and an integral outwardly projecting flange at its lower end, a grommet member having an opening therein and an outwardly projecting flange at its upper end'abutting the ferru-le flange, a part of the grommet flange extending upwardly around the ferrule flange and inwardly over the ferrule flange, and .a Washer havin the fabric of the umbrella folded around i-twith the fabric on'the upper side of the washer in contact with the. ferrule flange, the lower part of the g ommet memb r ex ndin u wa dly under the w h r and p es ed upwardly wormanent ngae m nt'w thefab ic on'the wash..- r to a a 'Part' f he fabric betw n said upturned edge and the-part of the ferrule flange under the grommet,flange.

'8. -Anjumbrella structure comprising a hollow ferrule-adapted tor'eceive the shank ofthe urnbrella having an integral outwardly projecting flan e atit lower end, algrommet member havme an outwardly proiec f an at ts u p r endabuttin'g"theferrule flange, means, for attaohins, the "grommet memb r to the ferrule flange,"saidmeans comprising interlocking ears nd indenta ions sa d abutting nges, nd we-S er hav nsthe abr c of the umb ellaifoldo tar u jd 'w th't j fabric on the up Side of the washer in contact with the grommet Tflange, saidgrommet'm mberhavins an ou war ly extending lower giporti'on pr ssed into p rm nent engagement with, thc fabric on the under side of -DAVID Bfierenees "Cited, in the file of this patent UNITED S TATES "PATENTS the washer.

Number 7 "Name. Date naps? Odiorne o. l, *se t., 30,1373 giants neckin m in- Aug. "2', 1881 35 04120 Shipman. -.--r-. 'septlz, 1 8st 512,905 Robinson ,,l 'Jan. 1e, 1894 11051; 698 Da'gett o "an. .28, 1913 2,105,225 "Pollock or." Jan. 11, 1933 ;2-, 12,3, 722 "Flichtenfeldet al... July 12, 195.38 

